Sweeping down from Dupont Circle, from Lamont Park and Malcolm X Park, thousands of immigrant workers and their allies rallied in front of the White House on Monday to protest the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies.
“Even immigrants with papers are scared to go out, (and) feel discriminated against,” said DC janitor Santos Reyes, a member of SEIU Local 32BJ. "Mr. Trump why do you hate us?" asked 10-year-old William. Despite gusty winds and overcast skies, spirits were high as the colorful crowds surged through the streets of the nation’s capital, chanting, singing and even dancing as onlookers cheered them on and cars honked their support. Similar marches and rallies took place around the country, turning the day into a virtual holiday for many, as May Day is in nearly 70 other countries around the world. On today's labor calendar: The film Sacco and Vanzetti screens at 7pm tonight at the American Film Institute, part of the ongoing DC LaborFest. Howard Zinn, Arlo Guthrie, and Studs Terkel provide contemporary interviews for this new documentary about the two Italian immigrants and anarchists — Bar-to-lomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco — who were accused of murder and ultimately executed in Boston in 1927. Their landmark case, which still resonates today, created an international outcry of injustice and brought attention to the plight of immigrants in America. Details are on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1886, four striking workers were killed, and at least 200 wounded, when police attacked a demonstration on Chicago’s south side at the McCormick Harvesting Machine plant. The Haymarket Massacre would take place the following day. In 1895, Eugene V. Debs and other leaders of the American Railway Union were jailed for six months for leading the Pullman railroad car strike. And in 1919, Pete Seeger, folksinger and union activist, was born in Patterson, N.Y. Today’s labor quote is by Pete Seeger, who said “Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.” Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.
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